Around the NFL: Who's in the hot seat, and who's in the captain's chair

Friday

May 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMMay 30, 2008 at 1:52 PM

Summer is steaming toward an NFL town near you. That means the heat will be on in training camps. For some, it will just keep getting hotter, right through December. At least, that’s how it will be for certain head coaches who keep bleeding losses.

Steve Doerschuk

Summer is steaming toward an NFL town near you.

That means the heat will be on in training camps. For some, it will just keep getting hotter, right through December. At least, that’s how it will be for certain head coaches who keep bleeding losses.

Here’s one view of who is in trouble, who might be and who could be elected governor of his state. First-year head coaches don’t count. Not even Al Davis fires them.

Jalopena hot seat

Marvin Lewis, Bengals (8-8, 8-8, 11-5, 8-8, 7-9). Running a clearing house for troublemakers made for a tenuous foundation that is turning to dust.

Lane Kiffin, Raiders (4-12). Big Al axed Bill Callahan after his second year, even though the first one produced a Super Bowl. Kiffin, 33, need not plan to retire as a Raider.

Mike Nolan, 49ers (4-12, 7-9, 5-11). Some teams get lucky and draft No. 1 overall when there’s a Peyton Manning. Some have the top pick in a lean draft year and wind up with Alex Smith.

Wade Phillips, Cowboys (13-3). Jerry Jones’ ego couldn’t handle a slide to 9-7, even though his overrated roster is capable of such.

Standard hot seat

Herm Edwards, Chiefs (9-7, 4-12). Kansas City was 10-6 under Dick Vermeil the year before Edwards took over. Last year’s 0-9 finish included losses to five losing teams. Rookie Round 1 pick Glenn Dorsey had better be a beast.

Scott Linehan, Rams (8-8, 3-13). A midseason 3-1 awakening was a mirage, with wins over three losing teams. December losses of 33-14 to Green Bay and 48-19 to Arizona were worrisome. A healthy Steven Jackson is essential.

Eric Mangini, Jets (10-6, 4-12). Edwards put up losing seasons in two of his last three years with the Jets. If Mangini loses for the second straight time, the tabloids will be restless.

Rod Martinelli, Lions (3-13, 7-9). A 1-7 second half wrecked the mood. The Lions have tried everything but moving across the river and joining the CFL.

Uneasy chair

Brad Childress, Vikings (6-10, 8-8). Much is expected after a monster trade for Jared Allen and some amazing moments from Adrian Peterson. Failure is an option until Childress finds The Man at quarterback.

John Fox, Panthers (7-9, 11-5, 7-9, 11-5, 8-8, 7-9). The 2003 Super Bowl season will seem like ancient history unless the new running tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart becomes a sizzling current event.

Dick Jauron, Bills (7-9, 7-9). New cornerbacks will help his nondescript “D,” but it’s a leap of faith to suppose QB Trent Edwards can elevate the “O.”

Andy Reid, Eagles (5-11, 11-5, 11-5, 12-4, 12-4, 13-3, 6-10, 10-6, 8-8). He just turned 50, reasonably young in his line of work, but you start to get the idea NFL life and life in general has made him weary.

Jon Gruden, Buccaneers (12-4, 7-9, 5-11, 11-5, 4-12, 9-7). The Bucs stopped no one in December, and the offense seems capable of collapse.

Gary Kubiak, Texans (6-10, 8-8). Deciding between Matt Schaub and Sage Rosenfels isn’t the same as telling Steve Young he might have to sit behind Joe Montana. Without cornerback Dunta Robinson for at least half a season, 6-10 is possible.

Sean Payton, Saints (10-6, 7-9). Nothing was easy during a 3-5 second half, when the only wins were against losing teams. It’s put up or shut up time for Reggie Bush.

Lovie Smith, Bears (5-11, 11-5, 13-3, 7-9). Having taken a team to its first Super Bowl in 20-plus years counts for something. But a restless Brian Urlacher and off-key musical chairs at quarterback could put Smith down in the count.

Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals (8-8). So far, so good, but Kurt Warner is old, Matt Leinart’s reputation has leaks and the Cardinals have changed coaches like you change socks.

Comfortably seated

Tom Coughlin, Giants (6-10, 11-5, 8-8, 10-6). The asterisk after that 10-6 — four postseason wins, one over the previously unbeaten Patriots — is the size of a solid-gold manhole cover.

Jeff Fisher, Titans (7-9, 8-8, 8-8, 8-8, 13-3, 13-3, 7-9, 11-5, 12-4, 5-11, 4-12, 8-8, 10-6). The brass figured out there were plenty of teams willing to take Fisher off their hands if the Titans hadn’t extended his contract.

Mike McCarthy, Packers (8-8, 13-3). They’ll give him a pass while he figures out whether Aaron Rodgers or rookie Brian Brohm — bet on West-Coast-offense-ready Brohm — is the better successor to old No. 4.

Mike Tomlin, Steelers (10-6). The Rooneys hate instability. They might give this guy another year if he went 0-16.

Norv Turner, Chargers (11-5). Management remains eager to demonstrate that firing Marty Schottenheimer off a 14-2 year was the right thing.

Rocking chair

Mike Holmgren, Seahawks (9-7, 6-10, 9-7, 7-9, 10-6, 9-7, 13-3, 9-7, 10-6). After spending two decades in or around the playoffs, that looks like Canton beyond his sunset.

Tony Dungy, Colts (10-6, 12-4, 12-4, 14-2, 12-4, 13-3). This could be it for Dungy. He won without quarterbacks (56-46 in Tampa Bay). Now that he has one, he’s a Hall of Fame lock if he goes out with another Super Bowl win.

Captain’s chair

Jack DelRio, Jaguars (5-11, 9-7, 12-4, 8-8, 11-5). This is what Cleveland hoped for when it broke in Bill Belichick in 1991. DelRio is roughly the same age Belichick was when the latter went 6-10, 7-9, 7-9, 11-5 and 5-11.